Cigarette structure



Oct. 23, 1962 I E, BERNHARD 3,059,649

CIGARETTE STRUCTURE Filed NOV. 20, 1959 TG lo' INV EN TOR.

k Elgar' ernhard Patented oct. 23, i952 3,059,649 CIGARETTE STRUCTURE Edgar Bernhard, 315 Green Bay Road, Glencoe, lll. Filed Nov. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 854,389 2 Claims. (Cl. 131-10) This invention relates to an improvement in cigarettes and, more particularly, to a constuction in a Cigare whereby :a cooler and cleaner smoke can be achieved.

It is an object of this invention to produce `a cigarette which can be smoked -with less dangers from the standpoint of health and with greater pleasure from the standpoint of taste and cleanliness.

More specifically, it i-s an object of this invention to produce a cigarette in which the tars and nicotine are more efficiently removed from the smoke.

Another object is to produce a cigarette which provides a cooler and cleaner smoke without diminishing from the taste of the tobacco smoke.

A further object is to produce a cigarette embodying improved filtration whereby impurities are removed from the smoke as the smoke is channelled through a controlled space to increase the coolness and the taste thereof.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, embodiments of this invention are shown in the Vaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective elevational view of a cigarette embodying the features of this invention;

'FIGURE 2 is ya sectional elevational view through the length of the cigarette shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is -a sectional elevational view similar to that of FIGURE 2, Ibut showing a modification in a cigarette embodying the features of this invention;

FIGURE 4 isa sectional elevational view similar to that of FIGURES 2 and 3 with a still further modication in the cigarette; `and FIGURE 5 is a sectional elevational View similar to that of FIGURES 2, 3, and `4,illustrating another modiiication in a cigarette embodying the features of this invention.

In my previously issued patent No. 2,815,028, description is made of Ia cigarette 'having conventional appearance and substantially conventional construction through the maj-or portion of its length. However, the end portion of the cigarette Vwhich is adapted to be taken into the mouth is fitte-d with a plug which substantially blocks the passage of smoke so that no smoke can be drawn into the mouth. Since ta proper draft cannot be drawn to maintain burning at a rate comparable to tha-t of a normal cigarette, a material to support combustion is usually admixed with the tobacco. A cigarette of the type described has been designed for use by those who are in need of the psychological support of smoking a cigarette but for whom smoking presents a medical hazard. While this concept is extremely useful for the purpose yfor which it was intended, it `is most desirable to provide a cigarette which can be smoked in the normal manner but from which many of the hazards and unhealthy characteristics are either greatly minimized or eliminated.

It has been found, in accordance with the practice of this invention, that many of the objectives can be achieved `by a construction wherein use is made of a plug 1li of the type described in the aforementioned issued patent but in which the plug is dimensioned to be slightly less in cross-section than the cross-section of the cigarette 12 between the wrapper 14 -so that a narrow, annular passage 16 will exist, through the end portion of the cigarette between the plug and the wrapper, through which the smoke is drawn into the mouth.'

Location of the narrow, annular passage ladjacentthe outer wall of the cigarette brings the smoke into intimate and eifective contact with the thin wrapper for maximum heat exchange with the ambient air to 'extract heat from the smoke drawn into the mouth without dilution thereof. Thus a much cooler smoke is obtained Without destroying or interfering with the taste. Detour of the stream of air and smoke to the o utSide of the cigarette and through Ia narrow, annular channel also creates sucient turbulence in passage to maximize heat transfer and to enhance the removal of impurities such as tars and nicotine from the smoke. y

For this purpose the annular space 16 between the plug 10 and the paper wrapper 14 can be filled with the same tobacco 18 as used in the body portion forming the remainder of the cigarette, as shown in FIGURE 3. It

is preferred, however, to pack this narrow, annular space',

16 with filter material 29.

When use is made vof the narrow, annular -space to house lthe filter medium 20, more efficient removal of tars, nicotine and other impurities is possible for a number of reasons. More intimate contact between the filter and smoke can be achieved by reason of the more limited space through which the smoke must travel, such that filtration can be made more eflicient. For another, the velocity of the stream of smoke through the narrow, annular space would be considera-bly greater than the velocity through the end portion of the cigarette wherein the filter occupied the entire cross-section. The higher velocity introduces a concept of centrifugal separation as a supplement to normal filtration. The availability of centrifugal force for separation is supplemented by the change in direction whereby foreign particles are thrown from the smoke stream into more intimate contact with the surfaces of the tilter elements for separation.

Thus, the construction of a cigarette with a plug 10 blocking the major portion of the cigarette across the central portion thereof enables `a cooler and cleaner smoke to be obtained without detracting from the taste of the cigarette. It is desirable to make use of a plug which extends for la distance equivalent to the length of the cigarette taken into the mouth, but plugs of greater length can 'be employed. In general, it is preferred to make use of a plug dimensioned to have a length corresponding to between 1/2 and l inch. As illustrated in lFIGURE 4, the plug 10 can be dimensioned to extend from the inner or mouth end of the cigarette to adjacent the outer end, especially where it is desirable to have a smoke while still taking a minimum amount of smoke into the mouth. Under such circumstances, the plug would be formed of a combustible material which would burn down with the tobacco at substantially the same rate. In the latter instance, as well as in the preferred practice, the plug can be formed of a hollow sleevelike member 1li, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The sleeve-like member would be closed at the mouth end of the cigarette so as lto make available :a minimum amount of plug material for burning. The open bore 22 of the plug can be filled with tobacco 24, as in the aforementioned patent, to support burning since the tobacco'smoke will be blocked from passage into the mouth by the sleeve 10" which separates the bore 22 from the annular channel 16 through which the smoke is drawn into the mouth. Instead of iilling the bore with tobacco, it may be filled with low-cost cellulosic materials since the smoke of burning will be blocked from passage into the mouth by the sleeve-like member 10".

The plug 1l) preferably embodies structural strength to support load so that the plug will function as a support for the inner end portion of the cigarette materially to add to the rmness thereof. This is an important advantage since it improves the feel of the cigarette in the mouth and minimizes the displacement of tobacco into the mouth even though the cigarette may lbe held in the mouth over an extended period of time.

The Wrapper 14 is formed of conventional cigarette paper. The plug 10 or block may be fabricated of cellulosic fibers, cotton linters, paper wadding, or other packing material compressed into a cylindrical rod which iS preferably vapor-impervious but which may be porous to let `a small `amount of air to pass therethrough but insufficient to permit the free passage of smoke therethrough. It would appear that the plug might impair the ability to draw a stream of smoke and air through the cigarette, but it will be evident that the decrease in crosssection of the area available for passage is not so great since the annular space is on the maximum diameter of the cigarette. The principal effect is in the displacement of the stream to the outside where it can be cooled, and where the filter medium can be more effectively employed for he removal of impurities such as tars and nicotine.

In the modification shown in FGURE 2, the tobacco 30 is packed through the entire cross-section of the cigarette through the major portion of its length while the annular space 16 is fitted with a filter medium 20. In yFIGURE 3, the tobacco is packed to extend through the entire cross-section through the major length of the cigarette and the annular space 16 is also filled with tobacco for burning. In FIGURE 4, the tobacco extends through the cross-section of the cigarette only in the outer end portion while tobacco `also fills the narrow, annular space through the remainder of the length of the cigarette. In FIGURE 5, the same construction is involved as in FIGURE 4, with the exception that the plug comprises a hollow cylindrical member wherein the bore is filled either with tobacco or other low-cost combustible material.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a cigarette structure which can be smoked but in which a cool smoke is obtained that is sufficiently free of harmful impurities such yas tars and nicotine, and it will be apparent further that such improvements in coolness and impurities can be achieved without interfering with the taste of the tobacco smoke.

One of the important improvements which is achieved by the foregoing construction resides in the possibility of smoking a cigarette of normal construction while burning a minimum amount of tobacco, thereby to achieve the pleasure of smoking while minimizing the harmful effects thereof.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A preformed cigarette comprising an elongate cylindrical shell of combustible material having a mouth end portion, a cylindrical plug in the mouth end portion of the cylindrical shell dimensioned to have a cross section throughout its length which is slightly less than the cross secti-on of the `shell land which is concentrically arranged within the shell to provide a narrow annular space between the plug and shell whereby the air and smoke drawn through the cigarette is caused to change directions for flow to the annular space `and then into and through said annular space and `whereby the smoke and air travels through said annular space at greater velocity to cause separation yof foreign material and whereby the air and smoke is caused to travel through the annular space located in the outer portion of the cigarette for better heat exchange with the ambient atmosphere, a porous filler filling said annular space, and tobacco filling the remainder of the shell.

2. A preformed cigarette comprising an elongate cylindrical shell of combustible material having a mouth end portion, a cylindrical plug in the mouth end portion of the cylindrical shell dimensioned to have a cross section throughout its length which is slightly less than the cross section of the shell land which is concentrically arranged within the shell to provide a narrow annular space between the plug and shell whereby the air and smoke drawn through the cigarette is caused to change directions for flow to the annular space and then into `and through said annular space and whereby the smoke and air travels through said annular space at greater velocity to cause separation -of foreign material and whereby the air and smoke is caused to travel through the Aannular space located in the outer portion of the cigarette for better heat exchange with the ambient atmosphere, tobacco filling said annular space, and tobacco lling lthe remainder of the shell.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,016,844 Moonelis Feb. 6, 1912 1,996,990 Cullen Apr. 9, 1935 2,246,929 Seney June 24, 1941 2,389,104 Bauer et al Nov. 13, 1945 2,402,680 Schmitt June 25, 1946 2,778,364 Nagle Jan. 22, 1957 2,815,028 Bernhard Dec. 3, 1957 

